Hornets, Colts earn Academic All-State

Tuesday

Apr 23, 2013 at 9:30 AM

By Ed Patino

ed.patino@hillsdale.netHILLSDALE — Both the Hillsdale High School and Hillsdale Academy boys basketball teams had seasons to remember this past winter, resulting in championships and solid playoff runs.They were just as successful in the classroom, and the rest of the state took notice.The Hornets and the Colts were recently honored with Team Academic All-State honors by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan (BCAM).To earn Academic All-State, a team's grade-point average must finish in the top 10 of their respective class. Hillsdale Academy was second overall in Class D, finishing with a 3.64 GPA. Meanwhile, the Hornets were fifth in Class C.The grade-point average is based on a 4.0 scale."I'm very happy for the kids and it's a great accomplishment," Hillsdale Academy coach Rick Milligan said. "Excelling academically is definitely something that's No. 1 with the kids, and they put a lot of time into it. This is a great way to cap the season."Being Academic All-State is nothing new to the Colts. Last year, the team had the No. 1 ranked grade point average in Class D. This year, the Colts were second to Lenawee Christian, which edged them out with a 3.674 GPA.Along with their academic success, the Colts were a force on the court. After finishing in the upper tier of the Southern Central Athletic Association during the regular season, Hillsdale Academy made a strong run in the playoffs. The Colts won the Class D district championship at Litchfield before falling to state power Lenawee Christian in the regional tournament."We have some younger kids on the team, but we had a good group of six seniors," Milligan said. "As a coach it's something you keep in mind, and you try to balance their studying with having fun playing basketball. The kids met the challenge very well."Hillsdale excelled both on the court and in class as well. The Hornets rolled to an 18-2 regular season record and captured the outright Lenawee County Athletic Association championship. They followed by winning the Class C district title at Addison before dropping a close game to Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central in the regional semifinal.Along the way, the Hornets maintained a high standard in the classroom, finishing with a team-GPA of 3.536.LeRoy Pine River finished with the highest GPA in Class C with a 3.664. Alpena (3.737) was the top score in Class A, while Macomb Lutheran North (3.728) was the highest in Class B.Three other area schools made honorable mention. Coldwater was honorable mention in Class A with a 3.408 GPA, while Addison finished with a 3.141 in Class B. Southern Central Athletic Association champion Climax-Scotts (3.07) was honorable mention in Class D.